In 2016, taxpayers paid nearly $16,000 in special assessments for a pool that is used by residents in the mixed-used building where the Aspen-Pitkin County Housing Authority rents.

The city of Aspen spent nearly a half-million dollars in rent and homeowner association dues last year for four departments that have been displaced.

The engineering and building departments, along with the Aspen-Pitkin County Housing Authority and the Aspen Police Department, all rent spaces outside of municipally owned buildings.

The housing authority, which has been leasing two units in a mixed-use building on East Hyman Avenue since 2014, is the only department that has to pay HOA dues. Last year, those amounted to just under $22,000. But in 2016, the housing authority had to pay a special assessment of almost $16,000 to pay for the remodel of the complex’s pool and hot tub.

And while housing staff can use the pool because they are tenants, the public can’t even though some taxpayer money pays the dues.